A bonus vent-ish
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Anonymous
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employer here...I HATE seeing the whole "one weeks pay for a bonus" because we cannot afford to do that. I really want to shower my nanny with gifts and bonuses as much as possible because she's so wonderful, but we have a nanny because we've never gotten in to a day care spot and it turns out that we just love her and how much my child is thriving with her.
We're giving her what we can afford - neither my husband nor myself receive a bonus at all during the year (both fed employees) and have faced pay cuts and recovering from losing pay while I was out on "maternity leave". While a weeks pay might be standard (I've never received anything like that at any job!), I really hate that I can't provide this for her. It bums me out 
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Anonymous
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Sorry you're feeling this way OP. I'm not sure what to say beyond that because I do not feel your situation changes the standard (many disagree that there is one) or your nanny's likely expectations. The whole package should be considered and budgeted for when hiring, and in your situation it may have meant lowering your expectations and a cheaper nanny.
That being said, you now have a great nanny that you are stretching to afford, and there are other ways to show appreciation, which is what is most important. |
Anonymous
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OP here - as an employed person who doesn't received a bonus, our nanny IS amazing and we tell her that all the time. I wouldn't assume in any job that I am getting a bonus. We aren't stretched where we can't afford basic things. However, giving someone $700 cash isn't something, I don't think, most young families can afford (we have a partial share, which has lowered our costs and increased her pay). We pay generous benefits and provide for generous leave whenever she asks for it.
Hopefully she's happy enough and we can manage to scrape together something. But I've never heard in any industry that you should expect to recieve a week or two pay as a bonus no matter what. |
Anonymous
| she makes $700 cash from one family in a share? |
Anonymous
| Honestly families need to factor the yearly bonus into their overall nanny costs. Don't look as it as "omg I need to come up with an extra 700 dollars in December" but look at it as "I employee a great person and I am saving 59 bucks a month towards her yearly bonus." I have had 2 nannies and it is a standard benefit in the field. I completely understand it is not a benefit in your field (it isn't in mine either...another Fed mom) but I understand its the norm in my nannys field and I would like to retain her so I conform. |
Anonymous
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OP here - we're giving what we can afford. If it's not enough, she just has to give a months notice. I don't think she could find another family that gives her as much appreciation and flexibility (she won't work more than 40 hours), but if it's not enough, it's not enough.
And 700 cash from us would be a week's pay before taxes (we pay her on the books, but I gather most give a bonus as a check or cash). We can afford to give her a raise after a year (it's been less than a year). So I guess we'll find out! |
Anonymous
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And thanks - I still feel terrible, but we're doing what we can. Hopefully it's enough. If she decides to go because of this, I guess it's for the best, sadly.
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Anonymous
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Think of it like a month with 5 pay day s instead of 4 .
I'm sure you have already come across this scenario or you will and you would be able to pay her. I don't think this is an issue of you not being able. I think this is an issue of I don't she shouldn't. |
Anonymous
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Is $700 what she makes total with both families ?
If it is you don't pay the full $700 you pay your portion. |
Anonymous
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Not sure what 11:40 is saying - I really think my nanny deserves and SHOULD get a months pay if I could afford it! We love her. It's that a week's pay is a LOT for us. When we hired her, I really didn't know the standard was a week's pay. We give her more vacation than most people receive, every holiday, early releases all the time, tons of flexibility.....so we don't really follow a lot of the standard contracts I've seen floating around. And before taxes, 700 is our portion for a week through the payroll service (some of that is health care, so untaxed)
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Anonymous
OP, the standard bonus would be here take home pay of her actual hourly wages, and just your share of it. You're still under no real obligation to give a bonus, but the figure you're coming up with is higher than necessary. Also, you keep saying that no other industry has standard bonus expectations, and that just isn't true. Many industries include potential bonuses as a part of their benefits package, and they are expected by the employees. Nannying is no different. I don't include my bonus in my monthly budget, because you never know what you're going to get, but I do use it to build up my savings each year, and not receiving it would be a big strike against my employers and the benefits they offer. At contract time, I'd have this in the back of my mind. I find it interesting that every employer, when faced with the reality that their compensation is lacking, suddenly offers crazy amounts of vacation and extra time off. Only you know the truth OP, but at least be honest with yourself if you're concerned about her leaving. Are you really giving her a reason to stay? |
Anonymous
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OP here. Well, when we hired a nanny I really didn't know I should be saving this much for a bonus.
I guess what we should do is give her the bonus (so, the hourly rate x 40 which is $500+). I'm not sure "giving her a reason to stay" and "being honest with myself" I mean, I know our finances - I handle them. We don't take vacations, we don't eat out, we don't have cable or high cell phone bills. We offer her per her contract lots of leave, lots of money for health care (we pay all of it), lots of petty cash and meals and she has explicit "no housework" duties. It's just a lot of money at one time. I emailed with my spouse and think we're just going to bite it and give her what is recommended on here and forego any Christmas gifts for family. It's not a big deal, and hopefully next year, if she wants to stay, we'll be better situated for a bonus and a raise. we pay our nanny $18 an hour (for just our child, for share hours, it's $26). 4 weeks vacation, including days that can carry over and be paid out if she quits with proper notice. Do you really think that's lacking?? |
Anonymous
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I think you are a troll.
I do give you props for being original. |
Anonymous
I've seen this on 15 other threads, and a bonus is not required to keep a nanny. You have to consider, if your nanny is willing to quit because she didn't get a bonus (or a large enough bonus) then you obviously have other issues in your relationship. No good, professional nanny that likes your family and is bonded with your child will quit because she didn't get a bonus. |
Anonymous
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Not sure how I'm a troll - is it because you think I should give a bonus? Or because you're doubting what we pay our nanny? Or what?
I'm just hopeful that what we provide her is enough because what she provides us is priceless. I would think that nannies would LOVE an employer that thought they were this important and special. Go figure! |